Mail-box



Patelited Nov. I, I898. R. H. HINTZE.

MAIL BOX.

(Application filed Mar. 4, 1898.)

2 Sheets--Sheet I.

(No Model.)

Patented Nov. I, I898.

R. H. HINTZE.

MAIL BOX.

(Application filed Mar. 4, 1898 J No. 6l3,275.

2 $heets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

REINHOLD H. HINTZE, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

MAIL- BOX.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 613,275, dated November 1, 1898.

Application filed March 4, 1898- To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, REINHOLD H. HINTZE, of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and usefullmprovement in Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improved mailreceiving box for residences or other build ings, including devices constructed with and operated by parts of the mail-box, whereby notice-is given to persons within the building of there having been mail deposited in the box, both by a sounding-alarm and by a visible, sign brought into conspicuous and designated position therefor.

My invention consists of the combinations of devices and parts as hereinafter described and claimed or their equivalents.

My improved mailbox and related mechanism are especially adapted to be constructed in and as a part of the outer wall of a building, though not necessarily so constructed, and I have illustrated my invention in connection with and as a part of the wall of a building.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front or outside view of a fragment of the wall of a building with so much of my improved mail-box in connection therewith as would be seen when built into the wall of a building in a manner for which it is adapted. Fig. 2 shows a fragment of the inner or plastered side of the wall of building with the inner or back plate or rear wall of my improved mail-box in connection therewith. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of my improved box built into the wall of a building in the manner shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a view from the rear of the interior of my mail-box in the wall of a building, the rear wall or plate of the box being omitted. Fig. 5 is a detail of devices mounted on the inside of the rear wall of the box. Fig. 6 is a detail of the front paneled door of the box.

In the drawings, A is the front or clapboarded outer covering of the wall of a building, andB is the inner or lathed and plastered surface or cover of the wall of a building, the clapboarding and the lathing and plastering being secured to studding O, forming a por- Serial No. 672,476. (No model.)

tion of the frame of the building andsupport= ing the clapboarding and the lath and plastering. It is not important that the wall of the building, even where the box is let into such a wall, shall be constructed with studding and with clapboarding and plastering, as the box might be let'into a brick or stone wall in a similar manner.

The mail-box proper, D, consists chiefly of the top and bottom ends and the front wall, rigid to each other, a rear detachable wall E, with its discharging-door E, and the front door F, hinged above and so as to drop down over and close a mail-receiving slot G in the front wall of the box near the top of the box.

Within the box and near the top a shaft H is journaled in the walls of a bracket I, fixed to the top of the box, and this shaft is provided with a coiled spring within the bracket I, which spring, like a watch-spring, is adapt= ed to be wound up or given effective energy by the limited rotation of the shaft H, and a pinion on this shaft, held by a click to rotate therewith in one direction, meshes with a cog-wheel on a counter=shaft, which counter= shaft is provided with an escapement-wheel K, which is engaged by an escapement on a rock-shaft L, said rock shaft being also pro= vided with a radial clapper-arm M, adapted to strike against the bell N, suspended from the bracket 1. The spring and mechanism for operating the clapper M are not shown in detail, except by dotted lines, as this portion of the mechanism is practically the ordinary clock mechanism and in its details forms no part of my invention.

To wind up the coiled spring on the shaft H, a chain 0 is secured to and wound on a drum on the shaft H, and this chain extends through the slot G and is attached to the hinged door F in such manner that when the hinged door F is raised, so as to permit of passing letters or other mail-matter through the slot G into the mail-box D, the spring on the shaft H will be wound up sufficiently to put the clapper M into vibration, causing it to strike the bell N and give a sound-alarm, when the door F is again closed and the tension on the chain 0 is released.

Through the rear wall E of the mail-box there is an aperture P, normally closed by the door R, arranged to slide vertically in ways therefor on the inner surface of the wall E. This door at its bottom edge normally rests on a stop therefor projecting from the wall, and a spring S, attached to a bracket on the rear wall E above the door R, is also connect ed to the door and is adapted to lift the door when permitted so to do to a stop on the wall E at a distance above the door when in its lowest position. A spring-latch T, secured to a block or bracket 011 the wall E above the door R, normally engages the top of the door R and holds it in its lower position, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, and when released from engagement with the top of the door permits the door to be raised by the spring S, the spring T when again released bearing against the rear surface of the door R and aiding to support it in its upper position after being elevated thereto by the spring 8.

The door R is provided with the word Mail thereon in such position that this word is exposed to view through the aperture P when the door R is in its upper position, but is hidden from sight when the door is in the lower position, as shown in Fig. 3. A chain U, attached at one end to the springlatch T and at its other end to the wrist-pin V, fixed in the chain-drum on the shaft II, is so arranged as to momentarily withdraw the spring-latch T from engagement with the top of the door R when the shaft II is rotated by the lifting of the door F, thus permitting the spring S at the same time to lift the door R and expose the word Mail to View through the aperture P. The door E, hinged on the wall E over the mail-discharging aperture therethrough, near the lower end of the box, is provided with a chain 7, which is also attached to the sliding door R and is of such length as to permit the door Rto move toits upper position when the door E is closed. \Vhen mail has been deposited in the box and the door R raised to its upper position and is held in that position yieldingly by the spring S and the spring-latch T, if the door E is opened for removing mail-matter from the box the chain \V will pull the door R down to its lower position against the effort of the spring S, and the latch-spring T will thereupon engage the upper edge of the door R and hold it in this lower position, in which position the sign Mail is not exposed to view.

The door F is constructed, preferably, with an iron frame having glazed panels Y Y, on the inner surface of which may be printed a name like John Doe or other name and a number, as 180 or other number, as desired, designating the name of the resident in the building and the street-n umber thereof. These glazed panels are held in place by a sheet-metal lining Z, secured to the frame by screws in the manner shown in Fig. 6 or by other equivalent means.

What I claim as my invention is 1. The combination with amail-boxhaving a mail-receiving slot, of a swinging door releasably closing said slot, a clock mechanism including a shaft, an actuating-spring coiled about the shaft, a train of gears and a vibrating clapper actuated by the rotation of the shaft by the spring, a drum on the shaft, a chain winding on the drum and attached to the slot-closing door, and an alarm-bell so arranged as to be struck by the vibrating clapper being actuated by the recoil of the spring after being wound up by the opening of the slot-door.

2. The combination with a mail-box provided with a sight-aperture, of a door sliding past the sight-aperture, a spring adapted to lift said door, a spring-latch adapted to lock said door against being lifted by said spring, a door closing a mail-receiving slot in the box, and meansconnected to said receivingslot door and to said spring-latch whereby said latch is released by the opening of said slot-door.

3. The combination with a mail-box provided with a sight-aperture, ofa door sliding past the sight-aperture, a spring adapted to lift said door, a spring-latch adapted to lock said door against being lifted by said spring, means for releasing the spring-latch, a door fordischarging mail from the box, and a chain connecting said mail-discharging door to the sliding aperture-closing door, whereby by the opening of the mail-discharging door the sliding door will be pulled down against the action of the lifting-spring.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

REINHOLD Ii. IIINTZE.

\Vitnesses:

C. T. BENEDICT, LIDA S. JACKSON. 

